Rating: 
Summary: Superb in every respect
Review: If I had to pick one best DVD production, this would be it. This set and the sequel show what the medium is capable of at its best. It matches the 1995 A&E "Pride and Prejudice" set artistically, which I frankly did not expect so soon. Technically, the video and audio are unsurpassed, MUCH better than P&P. The accompanying special features, instead of being the useless afterthoughts we so often get, are lengthy, informative, well done, and constitute a real bonus almost as worthy as the episodes themselves.Gruffudd and Lindsay lead a marvelous cast, utterly superb down to the most minor players. I often was sorry when a great supporting role ended, imagining how much could have been developed with more time. The tars and midshipmen who worked alongside Hornblower were my favorite supporting actors, along with a few crotchety captains of all nationalities, the best being perhaps the Spanish Prison governor. "Hornblower" is superbly researched and produced, including a full-sized ship built from authentic plans and materials, and attention to every detail of costume, speech, warfare, terminology, technology, sociology, administration, whatever it took to transport us back 200 years. The video, videography, and sound are outstanding. A storm sequence (in the sequel) enveloped the whole room because I wired my DVD player's sound through my stereo (EASY to do and MUCH cheaper than home theater systems). I felt almost as though I were right on the deck myself and was glad to be warm and dry. "Hornblower" isn't just about swashbuckling. Hollywood thinks sex means skin, but here we learn that brains, confidence, and action are sexier than hammering us with sweaty nudity. My female friends indicate reactions, especially to Gruffudd and Lindsay, that go well beyond my great appreciation of the acting. In fact, the "Hornblower" DVD's are becoming notorious for setting feminine hearts aflutter. However, guys, there are delectable tidbits for us, too. I confess to difficulty in maintaining objectivity about the "Duchess," the French schoolmarm, and the Spanish Colonel's lady. These strong, smart, courageous, women are the sort I would want at my side in any era, and are quite delicious in the bargain, which is how I imagine women react to the male players. The sexiness fits seamlessly into the proceedings, with nary a gratuitous exploitative scene to cheapen it. The original Hornblower books did include a French sweetheart, so I can forgive contriving to include the teacher. The appeal of "Hornblower" comes from several facets. It respects our intelligence. Things make sense; they could have happened as depicted. The characters seem real - good actors make us forget they are acting. We do not have to suspend disbelief (except that after a while, it seems unlikely that one person could be so lucky). We identify with the players. Hornblower reminds me of myself as a young soldier learning to lead and occasionally having to beat the system. Pellew reminds me of myself as a professor expecting the best of students, but with respect and affection. The crewmen are so like my students, my fellow grunts in the ditches at the refinery, and my comrades in the Army. The women are my dreams. These things are what hooks me, but there is something to hook every viewer, as all my friends who have seen "Hornblower" attest. I am brutal about a DVD's weaknesses, so take this as significant: THIS IS SOME OF THE BEST DVD STUFF. BUY IT -- YOU WILL WATCH IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Rating:
Summary: Fastastic Fun and well done
Review: The four chapters consisting of the first HORAIO HORNBLOWER series is an adpation of many short stories from the book Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. As such we have several plot lines in each movie and several chances to sink or swim. The series as a whole is well acted Gruffudd does a fine job as Hornblower the man of both thought and action. Sean Gilder (Styles), Simon Sherlock (Oldroyd), Paul Copley (Matthews), did a fine job in all four epsiodes. Individual episodes had fine performances as well specifically Ian McNeice (a fine character actor) as Mr. Tapling of the diplomatic service who nearly steals every scene he's in (exam. for Lieutenant) and Samuel West who low keys Major Edrington very well (Frogs and Lobsters), If rated alone the highest marks overall would go to Exam for Lieutenant (3rd) & the Duchass and the Devil (2nd). "Even Chance" (1st) suffers in compared to an more interesting "duel" plot in the book a better screenwriter would have used it. "Frogs & Lobsters" again suffers by comparason by the totally unnecessary inclusion of the love interest to sell the series. Of course those two tape would be only rated slightly less and only suffer by their comparison to the book. In a way the use of a real ship limits the series and the writing but also rewards it. It is easily worth the money and will I hope lead to the adaption of all the books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A Sailors Tail
Review: This is the greatest tail of sailing that I've seen. The whole thing is breath taking. There are no disappointments in the historical value. The acting is great. I'd put this on the top of my reccomendation list to all my friends. My mother also loved this show. Her favorite charater was Hornblower's Captain.
Rating:
Summary: A True Masterpiece.
Review: I don't often buy Movies I have already seen. Horatio Hornblower was an exception. Rating a movie, at least for me, means weighing the acting, the plot, and the directing. This one scored an A on all of these. The tale of Horatio Hornblower is an exciting trip into the sea of the past. It will take you through the winds of war, the waves of hunger, and the depths of happiness and sadness. It will keep you glued to the screen at each one of the four movies. I am glad to see that C.S Forester's magnificent tale was brought to life with such ellegance, and style. Ioan Gruffudd is one of the best actors I've seen. Simply amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Not completely true to the Book, but still very good
Review: Ok, it was not a 100% accurate protrayal of the Novel, but it was still a very good adaptation of the stories. The script seems to have been written with a clear vision as opposed to muddled mass that seems to be the rule these days. The production values were excellent and if the Indie did not seem as majestic as I had hoped (I was hoping for a true gun deck as opposed to the mostly main deck guns on the ship) it certainly was a vessel that would have been at home fighting a frigate action in the early 19th century. The casting was on the whole excellent. While Hornblower might not have been quite as introspective as he was in the book, this Hornblower also works better on the big screen. Pellew was also excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Midshpman Hornblower - Forrester's epic begins!
Review: These four films, originally broadcast stateside, on A&E, brings C.S. Forrester's creation to life on a grand scale. All four are stand-alone stories, but are best watched together for maximum effect. All are based off of short stories from "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower", with some clever mixing and artistic license taken from time to time. "The Duel" tells the story of Hornblower's first assignment and a nasty clash of personaliies with a superior officer, Midshipman Jack Simpson, recently demoted from Acting Lieutenant, who sees Hornblower's obvious skill as a threat to his position on the ship. In "The Fire Ships", young Hornblower learns some of the finer qualties of leadership, from both good and bad examples, and takes part in a spectacular attempt to fend off a Spanish attack. The third film, "The duchess and the Devil" finds Hornblower captured by the Spanish while escorting a woman back to England. She is, of course, not at all what she seems, and the story ends with a death defying rescue attempt and a lesson in honor and courage. The fianl film, "The Wrong War", finds Hornblower embroiled in the wrong side of a conflict in France. Some great action and character bits in this one, as well as a touching romance story. Ioan Gruffud (who had a bit part in Titanic), makes a wonderful Hornblower, perectly capturing the "boy-becoming-a-man" persona and displaying hints of the hero he will become. Robert Lindsay is also, stunning as Captain Pellew of the Indefatigable. And all the supporting cast members do a fine job of bringing their characters to life. Fans of swashbucklers, Forrester's novels, or even fans of the original Hornblower film starring Gregory Peck should not miss these spectacular adventures. There are also two more films available, and more planned.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower, The Adventure Continues correction
Review: Greetings Hornblower fans, I inadverntently made an error on the televised times of the two newest episodes. The correct times (confirmed on A&E's web page) are as follows: Sunday, April 8th @ 7 p.m. central time the episode entitled Mutiny will air. The following Sunday, April 15th @ 7 p.m. central time, the episode titled Retribution will air. I apologize for the oversight.
Rating:
Summary: Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues
Review: Horatio Hornblower fans! On Friday, April 6th, Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues, will air on A&E. The two brand new episodes are titled, The Mutiny and Retribution. I'm not sure if both will air the same day. ...Producer Andrew Benson and Director Andrew Grieve who were both involved in the original four movies of the Horatio Hornblower series, also produced these two latest episodes. Additionally, both Ioan Guffudd as Lieutenant Hornblower and Robert Lindsay as Captain Pellew, star in Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues. If Mutiny and Retribution are anywhere near the quality of the first four episodes, we're in for a real treat! Looking forward to picking up ...these two latest episodes on DVD, which like the original series, have nice extras! Happy viewing Horatio Hornblower fans! PS I was required to fill in a ranking, even though these latest episodes haven't aired yet. Based on the last four episodes, I'm giving Mutiny and Retribution 5 star ratings in advance.
Rating: 
Summary: Hornblower fan disappointed
Review: Good staging, good acting, good story...if you aren't too attached to the novel and the character. I almost shouted when I watched "The Duel" and saw this pivotal story turned on its head. Having seen this episode, I was less shocked when I saw the others. I donated the whole series to the public library.
Rating: 
Summary: Adventure on the high seas
Review: These 4 episodes have been taken from the classic books. Although they take quite a few liberties with the novels they are based on,I feel that the spirit of Hornblower has been upheld , and adds rather than detracts from the storyline. The naval battles are very convincing,and the overall style of action,adventure and romance keep the series going ; there's never a dull moment with Hornblower around! For anyone interested in British naval history , this series comes highly recommended .
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